September Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Supporters,

“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt,” (Deuteronomy 20:1). I read this verse in my devotions the other day, and was reminded that although the spiritual battle we face may seem overwhelming at times, the Lord is always with us.

BIBLES INTERNATIONAL’S ANNUAL CONFERENCES

The major highlights of this month were Bibles International’s Annual Retreat and Consultant Seminar. At the Annual Retreat, the entire BI staff gathers together for two full days of fellowship, updates on the previous year’s ministries, and relaxation and refreshment. The Consultant Seminar is a six-day conference for the entire Text Production Department (literacy, linguistics, and translation). It is the only time all year when we can all get together to discuss our ministry, problems and solutions, updates, and ways to do our work better. Both of these conferences are vitally important events for our ministry together as a team. Praise the Lord that both went very well. We all enjoyed rich fellowship and profitable meetings together. The biggest blessings for me were the opportunities to get to know my coworkers better, while also learning more about the ministry to which God has called me.

Please continue to pray for the entire team of Bibles International. Right now, we have more translation projects nearing completion than at any other time in the history of BI (as far as I know). It’s a thrilling time to be a part of this ministry, but Satan does not want God’s Word to go forth, and he is doing all he can to hinder it. But the Lord is on our side, and what an encouragement to remember that His is the winning side!

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

Thinking of Satan’s attacks on our ministry reminds me that I also face a personal spiritual battle every day. Without the Lord’s strength and guidance, I can do nothing. Please pray for my continued spiritual health and growth, that I will stay close to the Lord and that I will faithfully follow His will.

SUPPORT INCREASE

My support level continues to rise slowly but steadily. My support estimate was readjusted somewhat to more accurately reflect the living expenses in Africa. This meant that I was actually at 32.5% rather than 31% as I reported in my last letter. On top of this, a supporting church increased their giving, raising my support again to 34%. Over one-third! Praise the Lord again for His provision. Please continue to pray. Every month I am more eager to be serving full-time in the ministry of Bible translation in Africa.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell

Blessings Together at The Shack

I made it safely to Michigan yesterday morning, in spite of passing through bands of rain that was so heavy that I could barely see the road in front of me. Praise the Lord for safety!

So now I am here near White Cloud, Michigan, at the bed-and-breakfast place called "The Shack" (which is actually a lovely place with great facilities), where the entire BI family gathers every year for our Annual Retreat. We are already halfway through the Retreat, and it has been going very well. It has been a blessing to review how God has worked through us during the past year. We praise the Lord that, although we've had our trials and even a few setbacks, God's power and grace has been evident and His Word continues to go forth throughout the world.

The Retreat finishes tomorrow, and the Consultant Seminar starts on Friday morning. Thanks for your continued prayers for these important events.

At the Last Minute

I hate doing anything at the last minute, but sometimes that's how the Lord's timetable works! At the church where I presented my ministry on Wednesday night, I found myself scrambling up to the last minute trying to work out the technical difficulties (why is it that my computer only freezes up when I need it to work smoothly for a presentation?!). Technical difficulties at the last minute are all too familiar to missionary appointees! But the Lord worked them out in time for me to be able to run my presentation without too much of a problem, and the meeting went well anyway.

I was supposed to present my ministry at another church on Sunday, but there has been a last-minute change. I just got a call a few minutes ago that a key man in the church has tragically passed away, so the meeting will have to be canceled due to the funeral arrangements. Pray we will be able to reschedule it, but also pray for the church as I am sure that this is a difficult time for them.

Although I was looking forward to ministering at this church, I'm thankful in a way that the Lord has worked it out this way - even though He did it at the last minute! Now I will be able to have a less stressful weekend, and I can focus on the next event on my calendar: the BI Annual Retreat, starting at noon on Monday and ending on Wednesday. It will be good to see everyone from BI again, since due to my deputation travels I rarely get to see them face-to-face during the rest of the year. But we will be not only fellowshipping together but also discussing many key matters related to our ministry as the Bible society of Baptist Mid-Missions. Thanks for continuing to pray for this event.

Twin Meanings

Identical twins may seem very much alike when you first meet them, but once you get to know them, you discover that they are two different people after all! There are "twins" in language too. Every language has words with similar meanings, which are called synonyms. For example, English has words like: small/little, big/large, and hop/jump. The meanings of these words overlap a great deal, yet if you examine them closely, you'll find that they are not exactly the same. On one hand, there doesn't seem to be much difference in meaning between the statements "the kangaroo hopped" and "the kangaroo jumped". But on the other hand, have you noticed that the Olympic event is always "the long jump" and never "the long hop"? Obviously these two words are very similar in meaning, but not quite the same.

Hebrew and Greek have synonyms too, and this can make translation more difficult. For example, notice the words in bold in the verse below:

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." (Psa 100:4)

In Hebrew, those four words are close synonyms. So theoretically, you could translate it this way: "Enter into His gates with praise, and into His courts with praise; give praise unto Him, and praise His name." But that doesn't sound very good, does it? Not to mention the fact that the Hebrew does use three different words there (plus a noun closely related to one of the other words). We must find some way to translate these words accurately, yet (if possible) using three different words that match the Hebrew meanings as closely as possible.

We have to study each of the Hebrew words carefully, both the words themselves and how they are used throughout the Old Testament. Their meanings are very similar, but there are some slight differences, just like with my English example of "hop" and "jump". For example, the word for "thanksgiving" emphasizes the verbal expression of praise, while the word for "praise" emphasizes worship. That's why, even though both words describe the same kinds of actions, the English translators were able to carefully choose two different English equivalents - "thanksgiving" and "praise".

In our ministry of Bible translation, this sort of study is a very real help to both consultants and translators. With a better understanding of what the words mean, the consultant is able to explain each word's meaning clearly to the translators, who in turn are better able to choose the best word to use in the translation. This is also something that new consultants like myself can help with, even while still on deputation. We BI consultants are constantly working to study such problems beforehand, and share our studies with each other. So as soon as possible, even new consultants get to help with various projects and studies that will be useful to the entire team (I usually have several different projects that I'm working on). We get to be a part of translation ministry even before we get to the field!

Back in Chicago

Yes, I made it safely to the guest house where I'm staying near Chicago. My trip was uneventful, praise the Lord! I present my ministry to a church tonight (Wednesday night) and to another church on Sunday. Please pray for the Lord's blessing on these meetings.

Lord willing, early Monday morning I will leave for Michigan to attend Bibles International's Annual Retreat for all the BI family. Right on its heels will be the annual Consultant Seminar for the Text Production Department. Pray for those leading each of these conferences, and for the entire BI family as we work and fellowship together.

Starved of God's Word

One evening several months ago, I was reading an article on traditional African religious views and how their influence has affected the growth and impact of Christianity. I was deeply struck by one particular paragraph in the book which clearly shows why Bible translation is such a huge need in Africa:

"The African Christian often finds it difficult to identify with the Scriptural view of the spirit world. It does not seem to match the worldview that he absorbed from earliest childhood. Most African Christians do not have access to a translation of the Scriptures in their own languages, so they read in a second language or, for the most part, learn about it through interpreters. This not only limits access by the believers to the Scriptures which is the only sure foundation for a biblical faith, but it virtually makes it impossible for the truth of the Bible to become alive in the cultures of these people." *

The author goes on to say that not only do most African people lack adequate access to the Scriptures, they are also frequently not taught clear, sound biblical doctrine in matters that are especially important to their culture and worldview. For example, the Scriptural teachings on demons and angels are not clearly compared and contrasted with the traditional African view of the spirit world, and the result is often a general confusion and lack of understanding of the truth. And since most of them cannot read the Bible in a language they understand well, they cannot, as the Bereans did, "search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11) and learn the truth for themselves.

Oh, that there were more people who would give their lives to helping to meet the great need for the Word of God for the people of Africa!

* Karl Grebe 1997, "African Traditional Religions", page 22. Extracted from an electronic file in LinguaLinks Library 5.0.

Traveling and Planning

I've had a bit of a break from travels lately, but it's nearly time to head out again. This Tuesday, I'll be heading up to the Chicago area for two meetings. From there, I will drive up to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for two weeks of conferences at the BI headquarters. When those are finished, I stop in Chicago again for three more meetings before heading back to Indiana for a break. Please pray for travel safety (and, Lord willing, no more car accidents!!).

Please pray also for the meetings, but especially for the BI conferences, which are very important to our ministry as a team. The first conference is our Annual Retreat for all the BI family (that is, those that are currently in the USA and are able to come). The second conference is our annual Consultant Seminar, when all the BI consultants who are in the States meet to discuss matters particularly related to our work as consultants. I'm looking forward to good fellowship with my coworkers (whom I rarely see face-to-face during the rest of the year) as well as profitable discussions about our ministry. Thanks for praying for us!

Now that my school loans from Faith are paid off, I've started planning my finances for the linguistics classes I need to take next summer down at BJU. I've calculated that tuition for the 13 credit hours of classes will cost just about $5,000. Room and board would be an additional $2,000 if I stay in the dorms for the summer, but I'm praying that God will provide other housing off-campus so that I don't have to pay for that. Please pray for God to provide funds for these classes, so that I won't have to go into debt again. He has always provided my needs, and I'm trusting Him to do so this time as well.

Support Adjustment

The ink is barely dry on my monthly prayer letter - so to speak - but already there is another change. You may remember I posted an update recently mentioning that my support needs were being re-evaluated. Well, that evaluation is now complete, at least for the time being. My monthly need has been lowered a little - it is now set at $3,278 per month (this includes all regular ministry and personal expenses). This means that I actually have 32.5% of my support, not 31% as I said in my prayer letter. PTL!

But the biggest change is to my Outfit and Passage need. This is a one-time expense that covers the expenses involved in the first term of service - such as language study, plane ticket, shipping, getting a vehicle, and setting up a home. It was originally set at $10,500, but this did not include some of the things I'll need for starting out in Africa, especially the cost of a vehicle. You need a sturdy one in order to live in Africa (at least in Chad), and used vehicles are not a viable option there. So, now figuring in these and other costs, it has been estimated that I will actually need $42,700 for O & P. I already had the $10,500, so I have nearly 25% of this need. Thanks for your prayers for this need. God is providing, and He will continue to do so.

August Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Supporters,

This has been a very encouraging month, as I’ve again experienced God’s provision and God’s encouragement when I needed it. I’m looking forward to what God has in store for me in the days, months and weeks ahead.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The big highlight of this month was the BMM Annual Conference. What a blessing it was to fellowship with other missionaries, benefit from some great, thought-provoking preaching, and attend workshop sessions where we could discuss various important matters related to our ministries around the world. It was a great conference, but the part I enjoyed the most was interacting with the other missionaries. I especially praise the Lord for the veteran missionaries, who were often so encouraging to me, sharing their experiences of how God provided and led them over the years – a great reminder that God will do the same for me. I also praise the Lord for the other missionary appointees who are on deputation, who often face the same kinds of joys and challenges that I do. I came away from the conference very much encouraged.

FINANCIAL MATTERS

Praise the Lord that another church has joined my support team. I’m now at about 31%! Please keep praying that God will provide 60% of my support by January, if that would be His timing.

Only a few days before writing this letter, I paid off the last of my loans from my seminary studies at Faith. Praise the Lord, I am now debt-free! But that doesn’t mean that I now have lots of extra money to spend. It just means that I can now focus on saving up for a big expense that is coming up next year. Lord willing, I’ll be taking next summer away from deputation in order to study linguistics classes at Bob Jones University. These classes are very important for my future ministry as a consultant, and already I have felt somewhat hampered in my ministry because I haven’t had this training yet. So I’m looking forward to it. This is still in the very early planning stages, so I’ll let you know more details as time goes on. Please pray for wisdom and provision as I plan for these classes.

LOOKING AHEAD

As we are now well into the second half of 2009, my schedule of meetings for next year is starting to fill. Over the next few months, many churches will be planning their calendars for next year, so please pray as I continue to contact churches in order to set up meetings.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell

Praise Items:

• Encouragement at the BMM Annual Conference;
• My school loans are completely paid off;
• My support level is now at 31%.

Prayer Requests:

• Wisdom and provision as I plan for summer classes next year;
• My 2010 calendar to fill up;
• More additions to my financial support team.